The Best International Work Abroad Job Boards

In June 0f 2015, I was sitting on top of a 40-meter watch tower in the Peruvian Amazon as part of a university course in Tropical Biology and Conservation at the Los Amigos Research Station. The sunset was going down, and I had my camera with my 120-600 telephoto lens ready, watching and listening to the jungle. Being surrounded by so much wildlife at once makes you feel insignificant in this world. The sun was creating those stunning golden bands of light, and I looked toward the east and saw three gorgeous blue and gold macaws coming my way towards a tall fruit-bearing Ceiba tree. They turned their undersides to me, and the sunlight cascaded over their bellies, really giving meaning to the gold part of their name. I held down the trigger for a couple of seconds and, after that, checked the photo and got it! Now looking back at the photo and how I have improved over the years as a photographer, it was not the best, but that did not matter then because, from that moment forward, I knew this was the kind of life I wanted to live. Exploring the world, seeing new places, working with wildlife, and doing amazing conservation work.

My path to outdoor and environmental education work was not the typical path one would have taken as I prioritized traveling and the location where I would be based.  That is what led me to many places where I have worked contracts. After graduating university from Eckerd College in 2016 with a BA in Environmental Studies and a double minor in Biology and Coastal Management, I headed home to Cozumel, Mexico, to get my PADI divemaster certification and apply to jobs. I moved to Thailand in October 2016 to work as a King Cobra radio telemetry tracker for my first-ever job out of university and out of the country. I worked in Thailand for seven months, then backpacked around Southeast Asia.   This job sent me halfway around the world on one of the most exciting adventures I have ever had and set me up for every opportunity that followed. 

It is not easy to make that first jump to live in another country for an extended period. I highly recommend it though because of everything I have learned during my travels. I fully believe that the most important thing one can do for their education is to travel and spend time abroad. The best time to do it is when you are young and do not yet have the responsibilities of adulthood. There are thousands of opportunities to go abroad and work to offset travel costs.

I have had many titles since my first job in Thailand. Naturalist, Expedition Leader, Science Cargo Handler, Field Technician, Wildlife Biologist, Lead Herpetologist, Outdoor Educator, Environmental Educator, Cargo Specialist, Camp Counselor, Field Studies Instructor, Dive Master, and even Lifeguard. I have since worked in the Maldives, Guam, Antarctica, the UAE, Indonesia, Madagascar, Guyana, Mexico, and the USA. I list some of my favorite job boards to help you go abroad. The Best International job boards for outdoor and environmental education, as well as other career options, are linked here and the best Conservation job boards are linked here.

1.     Work Away

Work Away is a great site with thousands of opportunities abroad to offset travel costs. There are not a lot of paid positions. It's more voluntary, but with many voluntary positions, you can get your housing and food covered while exploring cool places. Think hostel work, NGO, conservation, and humanitarian work.

2.     Work the Wilds

Work the Wilds is a great place to find jobs for outdoor education and anything and everything outdoor recreation-related worldwide. These great seasonal jobs give you room and board and a decent monthly stipend. I made between 1200-1600$ USD a month when I worked in this industry. That’s a pretty good fee when most meals are covered and you live rent-free. They are good jobs even if you have no relevant experience and a great way to build up your portfolio while getting to travel.

3.     Emirates Careers

I’m listing Emirates because they are among the few companies in the airline industry to offer housing. Being a flight attendant or working in the aviation industry is a great way to get abroad. That’s how I got to Antarctica. There are many different types of jobs in the aviation industry. The more you work in the aviation industry, the better the benefits get. I know people who have been flight attendants for years who get priority standby and constantly travel the world.

4.     Diver Jobs World Wide (Facebook)

A great and fun atmosphere is the scuba diving world. I am a dive master, allowing me some unique opportunities abroad. If you continue your path and go up to dive instructor, more options will reveal themselves internationally. You also get to live in gorgeous, mostly tropical places on our planet because that is where all the epic diving is found.

5.     Outdoor Education Jobs (Facebook)

Here is another great job board with many active people always posting for opportunities worldwide. Outdoor education is how I found my first opportunity to work abroad. Contract and seasonal work are great because you can work hard and get some good time off between contracts and travel.

6.     Backpackers Jobs Australia (Facebook)

A cool working opportunity abroad is called the Working Holiday Visa which allows people from certain countries to gain a work visa to reside and work in Australia for a year. The working Holiday Visa also works in New Zealand as well. With the work contracts (and depending on your visa type) you cannot work at a place longer than 6 months, allowing you to get out and see the country after you finish your contract. You are eligible for another year after completing 88 days of remote work.

7.     Marriott

The hospitality industry is an amazing place to seek jobs abroad. The reason I list the Marriott job board is because I currently work for a Marriott company (Ritz Carlton).  They are the largest hotel brand on the planet with more than 7,000 hotels worldwide. There are endless opportunities involved with resorts and hotels.

8.     Maritime work

Working on a ship is another great way to explore the world and a lot of the time you get to explore countries that are much harder to get to on your own like the smaller Caribbean islands. As an environmentalist large cruise ships are not my favorite, but there are also yachts and smaller vessel companies with great sustainability protocols in place. If you want to work on yachts, make sure you get your STCW license. It is small quarters, and you work every day but contracts tend to run for 4-6 months, and everything is covered on the company's end such as medical, food, and housing. I've heard you will love it or hate it.

9.     Antarctica

At the bottom of the planet lies the frozen continent of Antarctica—the harshest place in our world. In 1959 the Antarctic treaty was signed stating that this land belongs to no one and is only for scientific discovery. Since the original 12 countries, there have been more added. There are many research stations on the continent, and these research stations need workers, especially in trade skills. Check if your country has a research station down there and see if you can take any support job for a 4-6 month contract. The other way to get down to the ice is to work on the cruise lines that head there.  They typically leave from Chile or Argentina.

10.  Go Over Seas

Teaching English as a first language is not for everyone. Still, there are many international opportunities to teach English abroad, and it doesn’t require much experience and the pay is generally great. Working on the school calendar gives you nice gaps to travel and explore countries nearby while being based in a new city.

These are ten great options for you to check out and find your next job.

People ask me repeatedly, “How did you find all these jobs?” especially my first National Geographic job. I googled ‘National Geographic jobs’ and applied. It sometimes really is that simple. The key is to understand SEO (Search Engine Optimization). This is understanding the power of keywords when you type them into Google. Using the right words will help you with your job hunt.

I find myself joining more job boards on Facebook as that is becoming more popular.  It is nice because there is a good community there and people who have been working in conservation for a while, who will act as mentors and give advice to the people who seek it.

I struggled to try to find a job right out of college.  I wish I had known about these job boards when I was in university so I could have found great summer jobs between school years. Please do not hesitate to contact me at my email, thewildgingerbeast@gmail.com or my Instagram @thewildgingerbeast if you have any questions or want guidance.

Thank you for reading the blog. It means the world to me. Stay wild!

"It seems that the more places I see and experience, the bigger I realize the world to be. The more I become aware of, the more I realize how relatively little I know of it, how many places I have still to go, how much more there is to learn."

Anthony Bourdain